Toilet closure operating device



P 1932-- L. c. THRASHER 1,877,083

TOILET CLOSURE OPERATING DEVICE Filed May 19, 1951 2 Shgets-Shet 7 Inventor Zara flf/z ras'kar Z?- W. Z

flllorney Sept. 13, 1932. L. c. QTHRASHER TOILET CLOSURE OPERATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 19, 1931 M illllllllillh Inventor Zerqy dfizrafiez' Patented Sept. 13, 1932 M" E O -ICE,

LEROY o- THRA'SHER, or onoEvERTE, wEs'r. VIBGINIA,,ASSIG1\TOR or ONE-HALE'TO ASHBY n. FERRELL, OFLRONCEVERTE, WEST VIRGINIA TOILET ic osUaE ornaa'rme' iar'ivrcn Applieation filed May '19, 1331. Serial No. 538,509,

prior art constructions and mechanisms de-' veloped for this purpose. Asa generalrule such'devices are so made and arranged as to lift thecover and to hold saidcover in an open position. It is submitted however, that few of such prior art devices provide for gentle lowering of the cover tobowl closing position.

With the foregoing: thoughts in mind, I have evolved and produced a dependable and eihcient device characterized by carefullyselected and appropriately organized parts for both raising andlowering the cover, whereby to avoid the necessity of touching the parts of the cover with the hand.

In carrying the inventive conception into actual practice Ihave found it expedient and practicable to embody my ideas. in "a struc tural organization of parts constitutingan attachment susceptible of installation on a conventional hopper enclosure assembly without requiring alterations in the existing or stock parts. i

I desire it to be understood,-however, that the invention may be partly built into the hopper to be supplied as apart thereof when originally marketed.

Briefly stated, novelty is predicated upon the provision of an appropriate enclosure constituting a housing or casing for theprinoipal parts of the mechanism, said mechanism embodying a rockably mounted foot actuated lever for elevating or raising the. closure, and furtherembodying a unique trip mechanism for urging the closure to a position for lowering, and also including a novel cushioning and check device for controlling the low ering of the closure so that it will recede in a gentle and gradual manner. H p

The explicit details and their particular association and arrangement will 'become more readily apparent from the following description and'drawings;

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showin the attachment form of the invention applied to a conventional commode. t

Figure 2 1s a detail vlew'showmg the method of connecting the operating means with.

thering like seat 'of said closure; v Figure 3' is a viewin section end elevation showing the housed parts of the mechanism.

Figures is a 'horizontalsectional view through the structure observed in Figure 3. T

Figure 5 is. ahorizontal section through the lower portionof the-fluid dash'pot. 1 Figure 6 is a bottom plan view ,of the plunger of said dash potr v Figure 7 is'a' detail section ontheline 7%7 Referring first to Figure 1 it willbe' seen that the numeral 8 designates a conventional bowl or hopper 9, the flush tank and 10 the closure; The term closure is used to des ignate-the lid 11 and the seat 12 as a unit;

In accordance with the invention all that is necessary to-adapt the closure to accommodate theoperating device is to provide a bracket 13-of the type shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to Figure 3 in conjunction with the otherviews', it will be notedthat the numeral 14 designates the mechanism casing or housing. -As'before stated it maybe made inthe form of a separate attachment or it could be built into the hopper as an integral part thereof. In the illustration utilized to disclose'the principle I found it practical to utilize a'suitable base 15, this being appropriately fastened to the floor. Attached to and rising from this base is the lower section 16 of the casing. This has outstanding ears at the front and rear end as indicated at" 17 suitably fastened to the base. Moreover it is formed 'at its top with an inwardly 'ofiset flange 18 which defines a ledge on which the cover section 19' is seated." Incidentallyit will be noted that the cover slips down telescopically over the flange '18. The idea in utilizing a sectional casing is to facilitate assembly of the mechanism. The cover sec: tion 19 is preferably of the slanted configuraioo tion shown and is formed at its front with a slot of appropriate clearance proportions and formed at its rear with a similar slot 21. Mounted on the base and located inside of the casing is a part which may be designated a standard 22 and this is made up of a: pair of companion uprights 23 spaced in parallelism as seen in Figure 4.

A bolt 24 is mounted in this standard to serve as a fulcrum for the foot actuated elevating lever 25. This lever has its end extending through the slots 20 and 21 with its forward end fashioned to provide a foot pedal as indicated at 26. The remote or rear end is pivotally attached as 'at 27 tothe lower end of an extensible operating link 28. This link comprises a tube 29 telescopically receiving a complemental rod 30, the rod being held in adjusted position through the medium of a set screw 31. The upper end of the rod is fashioned with an eye secured bya nut 32 to the aforesaid bracket 13 as represented in Figure 2.

It is evident that this adjustable link 28 constitutes a convenient means for regulating the leverage so as to adjust the sensitivity of actuation of the closure 10 by way of the lever 25. This is important also that it permits the device to function efficiently on commode structures of varying proportions and allow the single closure operator to function in a wide range of usage. It is evident also that the lever is so fulcrumed on the standard as to balance the leverage to render the operation smooth and easy of accomplishment.

I next call attention to the numeral 33 in Figure 3. This designates a cushioning and check device which may be broadly referred to as a dashpot. It comprises a cylinder 34 detachably bolted as at 35 t0 the base and confined in the casing. This cylinder is filled with a suitable grade of oil or heavy fluid. Mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder is a piston whose stem 36 extends through the removable cap of the cylinder andhas its upper end forked. The fork arms 37 are rovided with an anti-friction roller 38 located in an inclined elongated slot 39 in the lever 25 as shown in Figure 3. I This provides for appropriate receding of the lever to its normal position and insures dependable operation. In connection with the detachable cylinder 34, I wish to state that this is so made as to allow it to be moved from the casing and to permit the fluid to be exchanged whenever necessary or desired. In fact this arrangement provides for replacement of the dash pot if necessarythough it has been found that such replacement is seldom, if ever required.

Incidentally the head 40 'of the piston is of asuitable ported type to provide the desired valve action which controls the reciprocation of the piston in its cylinder. I do not make late the operation of the closure lift and to avoid breakage such as might otherwise occur when the device 1s operated by careless persons.

7 The numeral 42 designates the foot actuated member of the trip mechanism and this part is substantially /-shaped in general configuration and rockably mounted on the fulcrum pin 24. The internal short arm' 43 is fastened to form a cam while the remaining longer arm extends through the slot 20 and is fastened to provide a foot pedal 44. Associated with this part 42 is a trip wire or rod 45 pivoted at one end as at 46 to the tube 29. The forward end of this rod extends beneath a keeper and guide lug 47-. r The free ends of the wire directed laterally as indicated at 48 to provide a retaining hook and this adapted toengage in the notch on the seat 49 formed in one of the uprights 23.

Some of the structural features to be noted in connection with this improved contribution to the art are as follows The principal parts of the mechanism are concealed and protected within the limits of thecasing or housing 14. The housing issmall and susceptible of simple assembly. By being made in sections this housing allows access to be had for making repairs and for cleaning when necessary. As before stated the cushioning and check device-33 is practical and important in that it prevents the cover from being hoisted violently, and comes into play through V the medium of the pin and slot connection 38 and '39 in regulating the lowering of said cover. The adjustable stop screw 41 is a noteworthy feature in that it limits the depressi-ble action of the foot pedal 26 and prevents it from being pressed down too far by careless operators. All of the parts are specially selected and proportioned to facilitate operati'on and to provide dependable results.

As previously emphasized the complete structure is highly desirable in that it not only enablesthe cover to be raised but permits it to be lowered mechanically. In fact it liter-ally flo'ats" to closing position. In this connection I call particular attention to the trip mechanism comprising a foot actuated trip 42 and the trip wire 45 associated therewith. The presence of the cam finger 43 disengages the hook 48 nicely from its seat 49 and as the cover goes up this device 42 is set for subsequent operation.

It is thought that the description taken in connection with the drawings will enable a clear understanding of the invention to be had. Therefore, a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is f to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: I

1. A commode closure operating device comprising a casing, a standard in said casing, a lever fulcrumed between its ends on a pivot carried by said standard, one end of the lever being fashioned to provide a foot pedal, an extensible operating connection pivoted to the opposite end of said lever, a bracket for securing the upper extensible section of said operating connection to an adjacent hinged end of the closure, a dash pot in said casing including a piston, an anti-friction pin and slot connection between the upper end of the piston and the adjacent intermediate portion of said lever a bar having one end pivoted to the extensible operating connection above the pivotal point of said connection to the lever, latch means on the opposite end of the bar for holding said bar against rearward movement and manually operated means including a foot pedal for moving the bar forwardly to swing the said connection to a position to lower the closure.

2. A commode closure operating device comprising a casing, a standard in said casing, a lever fulcrumed between itsends on a pivot carried by said standard, one end of the lever being formed to provide a foot pedal, an extensible oerating connection pivoted to the opposite end of said lever, a bracket for securing the upper extensible section of said operating connection to an adjacent hinged end of the closure, a dash pot for resisting downward movement of the lever, a substantially V-shaped trip device mounted on said standard having one portion fashioned to provide a, foot pedal and the opposite portion to form a cam finger, said standard having a notch defining a retaining seat, a trip wire pivotally connected at one end to the extensible operating connection and having a hook formed at its opposite end engageable in said notch and cooperable with said cam finger. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' LEROY C. THRASHER. 

